Page 32 - HaMizrachi # 21 Tisha B'Av 2020 USA

TISHA B’AV READING

Rabbi Shimshon HaKohen Nadel

Mourning the Churban

in a Rebuilt Jerusalem

T he traditional additional to “the city that is in sorrow, laid changes to the text of Nachem,
of
text
the
waste, and in ruin.” The more subtle
Nachem,
and the text, as is, is relevant even
prayer recited on Tisha B’Av
afternoon at Mincha, describes language, Rav Goren felt, better today. Rav Soloveitchik explained
expressed the new reality of a
that according to the Rambam,
Jerusalem as, “the city that is in Jerusalem in Jewish hands. Jerusalem shares the sanctity of
sorrow, laid waste, scorned and des- the Beit HaMikdash. If the Beit
olate; that grieves for the loss of her Serving as Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of HaMikdash is not standing, surely
children, that is laid waste of her the State of Israel from 1973-1983, Jerusalem can be described as being
dwellings, robbed of her glory, des- Rav Goren attempted to formally “laid waste, scorned and desolate”
olate without inhabitants. She sits institute the changes he made to (See the Orthodox Union’s Mesorah
with her head covered like a barren, Nachem, but was unsuccessful. 7, Elul, 5752, p. 19).
childless woman...” While his changes were minor,
and closer to the original text as it
But today Jerusalem is not “… appears in the Talmud Yerushalmi, Some authorities, like Rav Zvi
desolate without inhabitants.” With they were controversial, with many Yehudah Kook and Rav Shaul
over half a million Jewish residents, leading authorities at the time Yisraeli, opposed making public
Jerusalem is teeming with life; her opposing his move. changes to Nachem in the repetition
skies lined with new buildings, of the Amidah, but allowed for
as the city continues to grow by Rav Chaim David Halevi suggested individuals to make changes in their
leaps and bounds. One cannot help more subtle changes, changing the own silent Amidah.
but feel that we are witnessing text from present to past tense, Rav Goren himself would eventually
the fruition of Zechariah’s replacing “the city that is in sorrow,”
prophecy, “Old men and women with “the city that was in sorrow,” change his mind after the euphoria
will once again sit in the streets of and “she sits with her head covered,” of those early post-Six Day-War-
with “she sat with her head covered”
Jerusalem… and boys and girls will days faded, and gave way to a
play in her streets” (Zechariah 8:4- (Aseh Lecha Rav 1:14). stark reality. In November 1978,
5), before our very eyes. Rav Isser Yehuda Unterman Rav Goren wrote that due to
opposed changes to the text of the “ethical, moral, and national
Following the dramatic events of Nachem because the Old City of decline” following the Yom Kippur
June 1967, Rav Shlomo Goren, Jerusalem was full of synagogues War, and in light of plans for land
then Chief Rabbi of the IDF, made in various states of destruction concessions to the Palestinians, he
changes to the nusach of Nachem and disrepair, while at the same is retracting his ruling in favor of
to reflect the new reality of a time full of churches and mosques the traditional nusach (Terumat
unified Jerusalem, under Jewish (HaTzofeh, 8 Av 5729, p. 2). HaGoren, pp. 327-329).
sovereignty.
Rav Ovadia Yosef opposed any The debate over Nachem reflects
In the IDF Siddur he edited and changes to Nachem for two reasons: the very real challenge we face
published in 1970, Rav Goren wrote 1) Our prayers were composed by today, mourning the Churban
that the traditional liturgy is “not the Anshei Knesset HaGedola and in a rebuilt Jerusalem. May we
appropriate when Jerusalem is free we do not have the authority to
and under Israel’s sovereignty.” make any changes to the text, and merit to mourn properly, and see
Instead of the traditional nusach 2) the traditional text of Nachem is the fulfilment of the promise of
which is based on a text that relevant even today, considering the our Sages: “All who mourn for
appears in the Rosh, Rav Goren physical and spiritual degradation Jerusalem will merit to witness her
chose a text based on the Talmud of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount in her joy” (Ta’anit 30b).
Yerushalmi (Berachot 4:3; Ta’anit (Yechave Da’at 1:43). Rabbi Shimshon HaKohen Nadel lives
2:2), and the Siddur of Amram and teaches in Jerusalem, where he
Gaon and the Rambam, which Rav Joseph B. Solovietchik too felt serves as Mara D’atra of Har Nof’s Kehilat
limits the description of Jerusalem that we have no authority to make Zichron Yosef

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